Package turnover apparatus



Feb. 27, 1945. w. B. RANNEY 2,370,325

PACKAGE TURNOVER APPARATUS Filed Jan. 12, 1944 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 BOTTOM BOTTOM Feb. 27, 1945. w RANNEY 4 2,370,325

PACKAGE TURNOVER APPARATUS Filed Jan. 1.2, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 M V 49- i6 WOLLOB Patented Feb. 27, 1945 PACKAGE TURNOVER APPARATUS Willet B. Ranney; Chicago, Ill., assignor to Wm.

Wrigley Jr. Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application January 12, 1944, Serial No. 517,921

Claims.

.My invention relates to mechanism for tuming over packages, particularly for turning over relatively small packages, such as packages of chewing gumor the like.

In handling packages by means of automatic equipment, it sometimes becomes necessary to turn a package over, top to bottom,'and my invention relates to novel mechanism for performing such function.

In accordance with the general features of my invention, I engage a package at the ends thereof as such package is being advanced with one.

of its sides facing the direction of movement, the areas of such engagement'being appreciably above the bottom surface thereof and preferably above the longitudinal center line of the package; and cause the package while being so held and so advanced to engage against an obstruction disposed below the areas of such engagement, so

that the package fulcrums about such obstruc-.

tion and is turned over forwardly on itself a partial revolution, usually somewhat less than ninety degrees, until it reaches a position where the package is lifted bodily sufficiently to clear the obstruction; and repeat this operation until the package has been turned a half revolution,-

or as much of a complete revolution as may be desired, depending upon thepurpose sought to be accomplished. In an actual operation, for example, wherein gum packages are delivered from a wrapping machine to a conveyor with one side edge facing the direction of movement along the conveyor, it becomes desirable to turn the packages through 180 degrees without otherwise affecting their position on the conveyor or interrupting their progress toward a succeeding operating station. In a more specific application of the invention, as applied to the turning of such gum packages, the conveyor takes the form of a pair of conveyor belts engaging ends of the packages and the means for engaging the ends of the packages comprises high spots in the conveyor belts, formed by wedges placed on the surface of guide plates against which the two con-. veyor belts move when in package conveying po-.

sition. The package engaging obstructions are disposed along the horizontal surface of the conveyor between the two conveyor belts. Each obstruction is higher than the next preceding one, and as a package is raised by the forward tumbling action, which is imparted to it as it is fulcrumed about an obstruction; it is placed in position to engage the next succeeding obstruction. In a preferred form of the invention, the package is turned over on itself in two stages, in the versed from the original position.

In the accompanying drawings, I illustrate one embodiment of my invention particularly adapt ed for turning over packages of chewing gum of a common type wherein a. package comprisesflve individual sticks of gum wrapped together to form a single package. Referring now to such drawings: v

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary isometric view of the entire package turnover mechanism, including the conveyor but with no packages in position thereon; p

Fig. 2 is an enlargedfragmentary longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, lookingin the direction of the arrows, um packages being indicated in end elevation in this figure for the purpose of illustrating the operation of this portion of the mechanism;

Fig. 3 is an irregular plan sectional View taken Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal sectional view taken on the line B6 of Fig. 1'

looking in the direction of the arrows, gum pack: ages being shown in end elevation in the same manner as in Fig. 2 heretofore described;

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the portion of the mechanism shown in Fig. 6; and p v Fig. 8 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 6 looking in the direction of the arrows, a completely turned package being shown in elevation.

The mechanism of my present invention is built around a; more or less conventional type 'of conveyor comprising a frame structure |0 on a flat horizontal portion .of whichis secured. .a base II along which packages are adapted to be moved by a pair of conveyor belts l2. The packages are adapted to be delivered tothe conveyor from the right hand side of Fig. 1 andto be advanced to a station at the left hand side thereof,

Y It-is desired to turn the packages over as they are advancing from one station to another and the mechanism of my present invention, as illustrated in the drawings, accomplishes this pur pose.

The belts I! are trained around pairs of pulleys l3 and it so supported on suitable shafts carried by the frame that straight portions of the two belts I! are disposed parallel to each other, and both such portions travel along and against guide plates IS in the direction in which the packages are to be advanced. The guide plates iii are suitably secured to the frame structure It and the base portion H so as to be fixed thereon in parallel relation to each other.

to provide a package turnover station. Transverse strips I1 and i8, which function as package engaging obstructions, are secured intermediate understood that the wedges 24-24 and 26-46 function as high spots in the guide plates and locally force the belt inwardly slightly whereby to form package engaging means; the strips I1 and i8 and edge 2| function as partial obstructions; and such package engaging means and obstructions cooperate to turn the package over. The package is raised as it is turned, and it is for this reason that it is first depressed to a lowermost position with respect to the conveyor belts.

thereby bringing the package back to normal position with respect to the conveyor belts when the Intermediate the pulleys l3l3 and ll-M, the base II is cut away the conveyor belts at the package turnover station to the horizontal portion of the frame. These strips l1 and I8 have their leading edges parallel to ed es l9 and 2| of the base II which define the Principal portion of the package turnover station. The edge l9 merely provides a slope down which packages may be delivered to the package turnover station, but the edge 2| comprises a package engaging o struction which cooperates to turn packages approximately the last quarter turn. Near the edge I9, I provide a pair of package depressing guides 22 and generally aligned with the strips l1 and I8, I provide a pair of belt guides 23, Near the lower rtion of the belt and immediately forward of t e package engaging strip I1, I provide a pair of wedge 24 suitably secured to the face of the guide plates I6. Similar w d 28 are provided near the upper portion of the conveyor belts, the wedges 26 running from approximately the point where the wedges 24 terminate to a position somewhat beyond the package engaging edge 2|. At a still further advanced position, and between ends of the guide plates 18 and pulleys I3, I provide a pair of belt spread ers 21, such belt spreaders being supported in upstanding parallel relation, and having their opposing faces so spaced from each other that packages advanced by the conveyor belts will be released at the position occupi d by such belt spreaders. The belt Spreaders 21 thereby comprise a package release mechanism which may, but need not. be utilized as the following descrip tion of an illustrative operation will bring out.

In order to describe clearly to those skilled in the art. the manner in which the mechanism shown in the drawings functions in the manner intended. I have, in all figures of the drawings except Fig. 1, shown illustrative packages in approximately the positions which they may occupy at one time during the operation of the equipment. These .packageshave been marked with reference characters running from A to H, inclusive, and have, moreover, been marked with indicia of a more or less arbitrary character, indicating a. difference in the four sides thereof. Looking at the drawings, it will be noted that the package A is just being delivered to the conveyor, while the package B ha been depressed by the package depressing guides 22 so as to occupy a position below the first obstruction comprising the strip ii. The packages turn from the position occupied by Package B to the position occupied by package E substantially in the space between these two packa es as indica ed by the drawings. The packages are shown in approximately full size, and the marks of the folds ind cated at the ends thereof in Fig. 2 are a furthe guidev as to the relative positions ,of the packe It w lbc turnover function has been accomplished. Those skilled in the art will understand that it is not required that the package first be lowered, it being "merely suil'lcient to provide a wide enough belt to permit performance of both the conveyor and turn-over functions. By using the construction shown with the separate lowered turnover station, however, it is possible to utilize a relatively narrow standard type of conveyor belt such as would normally be used for conveying relatively small packages. Looking back again to Fig. 2 of the drawings (and reference may also be made to Figs. 3, 4 and 5 in connection therewith), the wedges 24 cause the belt to grip the package at restricted areas slightly above the top of strip l1, instead of over the entire end area, in such a way that the package may be fulcrumed about the leading edge of the obstruction comprising the strip IT. This action may be noted by reference to the package C in Figs. 2 and 3. From the position shown in the drawings, the package C moves continuously about the fulcrum comprising the strip I! until it is engaged by the belts at the areas of the package overlapping the wedges 28-46, and substantially simultaneously released by the belts at the areas aligned with the wedges 24-2l. The package D represents approximately the position which a package takes as it is raised sufficiently to clear the strip I 1 and move from the locality of this strip to the locality of the strip I8. I wish again to point out that the package, or some portion thereof, is being advanced by the conveyor belts during the entire operation, the turning action actually being caused to take place by arresting or obstructing the forward action of a portion of the package. When I refer to the position of the package, therefore, this expression may mean the place to which the package as a whole has advanced; but I use the expression frequently in the context to refer to the relative po,-'

sition of the package in its turning movement about a package engaging obstruction.

At the obstruction comprising the strip H, the package is rotated about its ends, approximately a quarter turn. As a general rule, it will not rotate a complete quarter turn but will occupy about the position illustrated by the package D. From this position, the package may be given another quarter turn and this is accomplished by means of the obstruction comprising the edge 2!. To assure proper engagement of this ob s'tructio-n by the package, however, I find it ad vantageous to assure the package reaching the" obstruction in a directly upright position. For this purpose, the strip I8 is utilized. As shown,

the leading lower edge of the package D clears the strip I 8. The trailing lower edge, however,'

may be below theupper surface of the strip it a distance equal to the difference in elevation of the strips [1 and It. .This position is indicated by the position of the package D inFig. 2. As. the package D is advanced toward the left, how- 'ever, the edge of the strip l8 engages the bottom surface of the package in front of the bottom trailing edge thereof and the package is caused to assume an upright position as the upper portion advances while the bottom portion is being slightly retarded.

As the fully upright package now advances, its forward bottom edge engages the obstruction comprising the edge 2| and, the package be-' ing engaged by the belt at its ends above such obstruction, the package is caused to rotate about such obstruction as a fulcrum and turn the package forwardly approximately a quarter turn. This action is indicated by the position of the package E which is in the process of being given 'such second quarter turn referred to. The package E, as shown clearly in the drawings, is still partly under the influence of the wedges 26 and will continue to turn slightly, until it occupies approximately the position of the package F (Fig. 6). I

For all practical purposes, a package may be assumed to have been turned over completely on itself in the operations heretofore described, because release of the package by the conveyor belts will immediately permit it to drop to a fully horizontal position. In the form of the invention shown, however, I provide positive release means in the form of the conveyor belt spreaders 2?, so that packages will definitely be caused to assume a horizontal position before they are advanced to the station postulated at the left hand side of the apparatus- As the packages are moved along, they retain the position which they occupy after passing out of the influence of the wedges 26 and the obstruction comprising the edge 2|. This is illustrated by the identical positions of the packages F and G. When a package reaches the spreaders 21, however, it is released entirely by the belts and is allowed to drop by gravity to a position on the base portion H represented by the package H. Here the package is not under the influence of the-conveyor belts at all and the package H will not advance further until it is engaged by another 45 package pushing in behind it. This relation ,is indicated by the juxta-positions of packages G and H. The package I has been advanced in this fashion far enough to be again engaged by the conveyor belts The package J is at a more advanced position where it has just been released by the conveyor belts. My present invention is not concerned with manipulation of the packages beyond the turning function described, and the package K is included in the drawings merely to illustrate that packages may be permitted to accumulate as they are released from the conveyor belts, and all of them will be in the desired position, that is, a position opposite to that occupied by them (illustrated by package A) as they are delivered to the apparatus of my invention. It should be kept in mind that my invention does not require the package'to be turned entirely on itself, but it may ice-turned through 360 degrees, or any fraction thereof. usually, however, a quarter, half or three-quarter turn.

The apparatus of my invention may take various forms, as those skilled in the art will understand. The wedges 24--24 and 26- 26" may merely comprise high spots formed by shaping an entire guide plate, by embossing the surface, or in other ways to form the equivalent of a wedge or ridge adapted to form a longitudinally 85 first mentioned obstruction, a third obstruction higher than the second obstruction, means denally disposed wedges between said beltsand guide plates, said second pairv of wedges being higher than the first mentioned wedges and ex surface of the belts. The obstructions comprising the strips" I! and I8 and the edge '2l may take various forms, and the number thereof may vary, as has already been pointed out.

I have described my invention in detail in order that those skilled in the art may fully understand the same, but the scope of the invention is defined by the claims.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is: x

1. Package turnover apparatus of the character described, comprising a pair of conveyor belts, adapted to grip ends of a package, a series of obstructions adapted to interrupt forward movement of a lower portionv of the package,and-

means causing the conveyor belts to engage areas above said obstructions more tightly than other areas at the ends of the packages, whereby said package is turned upon its own longitudinal axis a partial revolution at each obstruction.

2. Package turnover" apparatus comprising a pair of conveyor belts, a first transverse obstrucv tion adapted'to engage a lower portion of a package, a second obstruction higher than the first mentioned obstruction, and means for causing the belts to grip ends of apackage at areas above said obstructions as the belts convey said package past said obstructions, whereby to cause the lower portion of a package to be retarded while the upper part continues to advance at each obstruction, whereby to' impart approximately a quarter turn to a package as it passes each such obstruction.

3. Package turnover apparatus comprising a pair of conveyor belts, a first transverse obstruction adapted to engage a lower portion of a package, a second obstruction higher than the first mentioned obstruction, means defining a pair of generally parallel surfaces forming belt guide plates, a pair of longitudinally disposed wedges'between said belts and guide plates in advance of said first obstruction and slightly above the same, and a second pair of longitudinally disposed wedges between said belts and guide plates, said second pair of wedges being higher than the first. mentioned wedges and ex-' 4, Package turnover apparatus comprising a. pair of conveyor belts, a first transverse ob-- structionadapaed to engage a lower portion of a package, a second obstruction higher than the fining a pair of generally parallel surfaces forming belt guide plates, a pair of longitudinally disposed wedges between said belts and guide plates in advanceof said first obstruction and slightly.

above the same, and a second pair of longituditending from approximately a position where the first mentioned wedges terminate to a position in advance of the third mentioned obstruction.

5. Package turnover apparatus comprising a pair of conveyor belts, a first transverse obstruction adapted to engage a lower portion of a package, a second obstruction higher than the first mentioned obstruction, a third obstruction higher than the second obstruction, means deextending high spot in the package engaging fining a pair of generally parallel surfaces forming belt guide plates, a pair of longitudinally disposed wedges between said belts andguide plates in advance of said first obstruction and slightly above the same, and a second pair of longitudinally disposed wedges between said belts and guide plates, said second pair of wedges being higher than the first mentioned wedges and extending from approximately a position where the first mentioned wedges terminate to a position in advance of the third mentioned obstruction, and means in advance of the second mentioned wedges for spreading the belts and releasing the packages.

6, Package turnover apparatus comprising a base member, parallel guide plates secured thereto, a pair of conveyor belts having portions disposed against said guide plates parallel to each other and running in the same direction; a portion of said base member being removed to form a pair of straight edges defining a packageturnover station, a transverse package engaging strip intermediate said straight edges but below the level of the same, and two'pair of longitudinally disposed ridges on the guide plates,-one pair of ridges immediately in advance of said transverse strip and above the same, and the second pair of ridges disposed at a position higher than the first mentioned ridge and extending from about the termini thereof to beyond the further advanced straight edge, the ridges causing the belt to grip contiguous end areas of a package and cooperating with the said strip and straightedge to turn the package over on itself in two substantially continuous movements.

7. Package turnover apparatus comprising a base member, parallel guide plates secured there to, a pair of conveyor belts having portions disposed against said guide plates parallel to each other and running in the same direction, a portion of said base member being removed to form.

a pair of straight edges defining a package turnover station, a pair of wedges disposed longitudinally between said guide plates and a lower portion of the two belts, a transverse package engaging strip near the forward termini of said wedges but having its top surface below the same, said wedges and package engaging strip cooperating to impart an initial partial turn toa package, a second pair of wedges between the said guide plates and an upper portion of the two conveyor belts, said second pair of wedges beginning at that point longitudinally of the conveyor where the first pair ofwedges terminate and extending beyond said furthest advanced straight edge, whereby'to cooperatewith, said straight edge to cause a further turning of a package. I

' 8. Package turnover apparatus comprising a base member, parallel guide plates secured thereto, a pair of conveyor belts having portions disposed against said guide plates'parallel to each other and running in the same direction, a por-" tion of said base member being removed to form. a pair of straightedges defining a package -turn' over station, a pair of wedges disposed longitudinally between said guide plates and a lower portion of the two belts, a transverse package age turnover station.

veyor where the first pair of .wedges terminate,

a second transverse package engaging strip, the top surface of which is slightly higher than the first mentioned strip but lower than the furthest advanced straight edge formed by the base member, said second mentioned strip'being intamediate the ends of the second mentioned wedges, and said wedges extending beyond said furthest advanced straight edge, whereby to cooperate with said straight edge to causes, further turning of a package, and means for thereafter releasing said package from the conveyor belts to permit it to assume a fully horizontal position on said base member.

- 9. Package turnover apparatus comprising a base member, parallel'guide plates secured thereto, a pair of conveyor belts having portions disposed against said guide plates parallel to each other and running in the same direction, a portion of said base member being removed to form a pair of straight edges defining a package turnover station, a pair of wedges disposed longitudinally between said guide plates and a lower portion of the two belts, a transverse package engaging strip near the forward termini of said wedges but having its top surface below the same, said wedges and package engaging strip cooperating to impart an initial partial turn to a package, a second pair of wedges between the said guide plates and an upper portion of the two conveyor belts, said second pair of wedges beginning at that point longitudinally of the conveyor where the first pair of wedges terminate, and a second transverse package engaging strip, the top surface of which is slightly higher than-the first mentioned strip but lower than the I furthest advanced straight edge formed by the base member, said second mentioned strip being intermediate the ends of the second mentioned wedges, and said wedges extending beyond said furthest advanced straight edge, whereby to co operate with said straight edge to cause a furtion, a pair of transverse obstructions in said package turnover station, means for advancing packages and depressing the same into said package turnover station, and means for gripping areas of the package on opposite flat surfaces thereof above said obstructions as the package is advanced relative to said obstructions, whereby to rotate the package successively about each obstruction and elevate it to the level of said base member. as it is discharged from the pack- WILLET B. 'RANNEY. 

